When Life (and Relationships) Aren’t What You Hoped (Part 1)

Last updated on: June 18, 2024 at 5:00 am by Shaunti Feldhahn

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When Life (and Relationships) Aren’t What You Hoped (Part 1) 2024-06-13T20:40:25-04:00 Shaunti Feldhahn

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When something is not as we hoped, what can we do?

Maybe something in a relationship drives us crazy. It could be that you’re married to Tigger, and your dad doesn’t get along with him because he is more like Eeyore. (Or you are more like Eeyore!)

Or perhaps a spouse is completely ADD about household tasks – they don’t mean to forget the trash pickup, but they often do. Or an adult daughter is always fifteen minutes late – twenty to things that matter. Or your business partner gets defensive when a suggestion is made. Every. Single. Time.

Regardless of the relationship, most of us probably have a situation that we hoped would change by now.

Or, zooming out to a bigger picture, maybe something about our lives overall isn’t what we’d hoped for. Maybe there’s a chronic health problem that may never change, a constant struggle with finances, or the fact that we have to move every few years because of our spouse’s job.

How do we handle these situations with grace, steadiness, and joy, instead of frustration, chaos, and anguish? How do we live a life marked by true contentment instead of constant dissatisfaction?

These are obviously very big questions – and the answers go far beyond what we can do in this three-part series. But we can rely on science and scripture to at least make a start.

So this week, let’s start by looking at one big-picture action. It’s the hinge everything else turns on. And I’ll be honest, we’re going to need a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down. Next week, in Part 2, we’ll add two more actions that can help us maneuver the life’s challenges with greater joy. And in Part 3, we’ll apply all of this to our relationships.

Ready? Got that spoonful of sugar?

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6 Steps to Change Your Marriage for the Better (Part 2)

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June 25, 2024 When Life (and Relationships) Aren’t What You Hoped (Part 2)

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